United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development South Dakota staff were in town today to tour the Oglala Lakota College facility and to see firsthand how the latest technology will benefit native Americans from the Pine Ridge and Cheyenne River Reservations.
“The Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program offered through USDA provides a venue for rural residents, including reservations, to tap into the enormous potential of modern technology for education, one of the important components of economic and community development,” said Kent Evans, USDA Rural Development Director of Water and Environmental Programs (Washington, DC). “This distance learning project will improve communication between the hub and end-user sites.”
Oglala Lakota College was recently awarded grants funds of $284,221 from USDA Rural Development’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) Program. The funds will be used to replace outdated videoconferencing equipment for 16 classrooms and add an additional four new distance learning classrooms. Oglala Lakota College serves an area of over 10,000 square miles that has an average density of six people per square mile in South Dakota. This project will provide service to the South Dakota Counties of Oglala Lakota, Dewey, Jackson, and Bennet.
The DLT Grant Program provides access to education, training and health care resources in rural areas. USDA Rural Development has eight offices in the state that assist rural communities. Office locations include a state office in Huron, along with area offices in Aberdeen, Mitchell, Pierre, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Watertown, and Yankton.
President Obama’s plan for rural America has produced historic investment in rural communities. Under the President’s leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have strengthened America’s small towns and cities and helped improve the nation’s economy.